This invention relates to apparel, and in particular relates to dual-purpose clothing.
Many motorcycle riders find it inconvenient to don wet weather clothing when protection from inclement weather is necessary. Conventional wet weather gear must usually be added to existing clothing, and usually must be unpacked from storage. Such difficulties also apply to the riding of other vehicles such as snowmobiles, and to the riding of animals such as horses. In fact, any situation involving a person being seated in an outdoor location, such as watching a sporting event such as a football match, may result in the aforementioned problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,267 by Galindo discloses a protective loincloth garment for motorcycle riders, which is intended to depend from a conventional item of apparel such as a pair of trousers, to shield the groin and inner thighs from cold, wind and wet weather while the wearer sits astride a motorcycle. Such a garment may be categorised as a variant of the conventional wet weather gear discussed hereinbefore, and does not address the problems outlined in this introduction.
In U.S. Pat. No.4,712,252 to Chou et at, there is shown an xe2x80x9canti-wind raincoatxe2x80x9d for use in activities such as mountaineering. The coat consists of coat, skirt and sleeve portions, made of wind and rain resistant material. Normally, the skirt and sleeves are rolled up so that the garment functions only as a coat, but to cope with rain, the skirt and sleeves may be rolled down. Such an arrangement does not address the problems encountered by a motorcycle rider in inclement weather.
U.S. Pat. No.5,101,514 by Heklund discloses a convertible garment adapted to be used by a seated person. However, the aim of the Heklund invention is to provide a xe2x80x9cseat padxe2x80x9d which is normally stored within the garment, but which is removable from storage and relocatable to provide a seat for the wearer of the garment when he or she sits on a hard surface such as a tree stump.
The prior art does not address the difficulties discussed in this introduction, and accordingly there is a need for clothing which is able to be worn as a conventional item of clothing, but which is able to be adapted so that it may be used as motorcycle wet weather gear.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved garment which is adapted to be converted to weather gear suitable for riding or sitting.
The invention provides a garment adapted to be converted between, on the one hand, a coat, and on the other hand, wet-weather gear suitable for use by a person when seated upon a motor-cycle, said garment including portions which when arranged in a first pattern form said coat and when arranged in a second pattern form said wet-weather gear, characterised in that one of said portions is constituted in said first pattern by two panels of said coat, said panels being located in use below the waist of said person wearing said coat, said panels being separated by a vent located, In use, to the rear of said coat, each of said panels being adapted to be connected together about the respective legs of said person, in that another of said portions is a crotch portion which in said first pattern is a flap attached, in use, to the inside rear of said coat at and/or below the waist of said person, and which in said second pattern provides protection for the crotch of the person against wet weather when said person is seated, and in that conversion between said two patterns is carried out while said person is wearing said garment.